And andrew runstetler



(No Model.)

M. 8a A. R-UNSTETLER.

001m PLANIER.

No. 311,856. Patented Feb. 3, 1885 UNITE STATES ATlENT Oriana,

MICHAEL RUNSTETLER', OF DAYTON, OHIO, AND ANDRE\V RUNSTETLER, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO THE' FARMERS FRIEND MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF DAYTON, OHIO, AND THE DEERE & MANSURCOMPANY, OF MOLINE, ILLINOIS.

CORN-PLANT'ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 311,855, dated Pebruary' 3, 1885.

(No mcdel.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be-it known that we, NIIOHAEL RUNsTn'rLnn, and ANDREW RUNSTETLER, respectively of Dayton, in the county of Montgomery, State of Ohio, and Moline, in the county of Rock Island and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Corn- Planters, of which the following is a specification.

Ihis invention relates to improvements in that class of corn-planters wherein a main frame mounted on wheels and supporting an attendants seat is connected with a front runner-fraine carrying mechanism for dropping r 5 the seed.

The invention has for its objects to provide a dropper -seat in addition to the seat for the driver, who also operates the lever to elevate or depress the runner-frame,

whereby the main frame is balanced on the axle of the ground-wheels; to provide novel means whereby the necks of the draft-animals are relieved from the weight of the person attending the dropping mechanism when the front runnenframe is elevated; to' provide a novel combination and construction of parts for elevating or depressing the runner-frame, and to provide a novel connection between the main frame and the runner-frame. These objects are accomplished in the manner and by the means hereinafter described and claimed, reference being had to the accompanying d rawings, illustrating the invent-ion, in which- Figure l isa top plan view; Fig. 2, a sectional elevation on the line :r w of Fig. 1; Fig. 8, a front elevation of the mortise-bracket for supporting the lever used for elevating and depressing the rnnnerframe, and Fig. 4 a detail cross-sectional view showing the adj nst able stops for supporting the runner-frame.

Referring to the drawings, A A indicate the two ground-wheels, and B the axle centrally supporting the main frame, which, as here shown, is composed of side rails, C C, rigidly attached to the axle at or near the middle of their length, and joined at the rear end by the cross-rail C. To the forward ends of the main frame are secured two brackets, P, having slots in which are adapted to play pivot-bolts secured to arms 0, attached to the rear crossbar, E, of therunnerframe E", being the front cross-bar of the runner-frame, and E E the runners. The runner-frame being thus hinged, pivoted, or flexibly connected with the main frame, is permitted to have considerable rising and falling motion. The longitudinal bars F F form part of the runuerfrai'ne and extend rearward under the main frame, and are provided with a transverse rail, D, the ends of which can rest upon lugs or steps d at the lower end of brackets D, having slots and vertically adjustable on the main frame. The depth of the furrow made by the runners E can be varied by vertically adjusting the slotted brackets D. A rearwardly-curved seat-standard, J, is rigidly secured to the wheel-axle, to the upper part of which is attached the drivers scatII, while the lower end of the standard is slotted to receive a metallic mortiseplate, I through which extends the lever J, the plate serving as a durable and efficient guide to the lever in its movements. The lever is centrally held by a pivot, j, passing through the mortise-plate and the slot of the seatstandard, and the lever 7 5 extends rearward from the pivot to provide a rearward extension for elevating the runnerframe and forward and upward from the pivot to provide an extension in convenient reach of the driver for depressing said frame. The g forward end of the elevating and depressing lever is shown provided with a slot, R, through which passes a pivot-bolt secured to vertical studs G G, rigidly attached, respectively, to the rearward extensions of the longitudinal 8 rails F; but instead of the rigid studs and the slot any yielding or link connection between the rails F and lever J maybe substituted. The upward extension of the forward end of the lever J is provided with a foot-plate, L, and the rearward extension is provided with a similar plate, M, and also Withnotches a, with any of which engages the free end of a rcarwardly-depeuding dctent or pawl, N, pivotcd to the seat-standard, and having a pin, R, by which the driver can raise it from engagement with the notch.

It will be obvious that the driver by placing his foot on the foot-plateLcan depressthe runner-frame and hold it down to its work, while by placing the foot upon the foot-plate M the driver can elevate the runner-framethe required distance from the ground, and the frame can be held up, if desired, by engaging the pawl N with one of the notches n of the lever J.

To the forward ends of the side rails, O O, of the main frame are attached brackets h, to which are secured the ends of a cross-bar, h, carrying the droppers seat Htl1at is, the seat for the person who observes and attends to the'proper working of the seed-dropping devices. This seat, as well as the drivers seat H, being, respectively, on the centrally-supported main frame at opposite sides of the axle, it will be evident that the main frame is evenly, or nearly evenly, balanced, and, further, that when the runner-frame is elevated by the driver the weight of the person on the droppers. seat is not in any manner or to the least extent thrown on the necks of the draft-animals through the tongue or pole I.

' In corn-planters of this class as heretofore constructed the droppers seat has been arranged on the runner-frame, and where the pole or tongue is rigidly attached to said runner-frame it will be obvious that when the frame is elevated in any degree a portion of the weight of the dropper, and the runnerframe is thrown upon the necks of the draftanimals. By our invention this is entirely avoided, as before explained. This part of the invention is most practically and success fully carried into effect by arranging the side rails of the main frame on a plane above or higher than the runner-frame, the side rails being separately attached to the runner-frame by the slotted brackets and armsP and O and pivot-bolts, as explained; but this arrangement can be reversed, or other formsof hinges or flexible connections employed.

In the use of theimachine the driver, by placing his foot upon the foot-plate L, can hold the cross-rail D firmly down upon the lugs or stops cl of the brackets D, and thus the structure becomes in effect a rigid planter, which permits the machine to be used either as a rigid or yielding corn-planter.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim is 1. Ina corn-planter having a main frame supported by an axle and ground-wheels and connected or hinged with a front runnerframe, a droppers seat supported on the side rails of the main frame in front of the axle, and a driver s seat in rear of the axle and on said main frame, substantially as described.

2. The combination of a main frame of a corn-planter-mounted at or near its center 011 the axle of the ground-wheels, and provided at its forward end with a droppers seat, with a runner-fran1e connected with the main frame, substantially as described, for "relieving the necks of the draft-animals from the weight of the dropper when the runner-frame is elevated, substantially as described.

3. In a corn-planter having a rear main frame and a front runner-frame hinged or pivoted together, a lever, J, having a rear ward extension for elevating, and a forward and upward extension for depressing, the runner-frame, substantially as described.

' 4. In a corn-planter, the combination of the drivers seat and its supportingstandard with the elevating-lever J, centrally pivoted thereto, and provided with a forward and upward extension for depressing the runner-frame, substantially as described.

5. In a corn-planter, the combination of the side rails of the main frame extending over or above the runner-frame, and separately connected therewith by brackets P, secured to the front of the main frame, and arms 0, attached to the runner-frame and connected to the slotted brackets, substantially as and for the purpose described.

6. The combination, in a corn-planter the main and runner-frames of which are loosely connected, of the side rails of the main frame carrying a droppers seat on a bar connecting their front ends, substantially as described.

7. In a corn-planter, the rear main frame and front runner-frame hinged or pivoted to gether, the combination of the elex'ating or depressing lever J with the drivers seat and the droppers seat both attached to the rear main frame, substantially as described.

8. In a corn-planter, the lever J, centrally pivoted to the main frame, and provided at its rear end with a foot-plate, M, and with a front end having an upward extension carrying a foot-plate, L, said lever being loosely con-- nected with the rearward extension of the runner-frame, substantially as described.

9. The combination of the main rear frame, the front runner-frame, the slotted brackets P, secured to the front of the main frame, the arms 0, attached to the runner-frame and connected with the slotted brackets, and the centrally-pivoted lever J, having its forward end connected with the runner-frame for either elevating or depressing the same, all substantially as and for the purpose described.

10. The combination, with the main frame and the runner-frame hinged or pivoted together, and the foot-lever for either elevating or depressing the runner-frame, and having a notch or notches on its rear extension, of the seat-standard and the detent or pawl pivoted at its upper end to the seat-standard and depending rearwardly therefrom to engage the notch or notches on the foot-lever, sub stantially as described.

11.. In a corn-planter, the combination of the side rails of the main frame extending over or above the runner-frame, and separately connected therewith, and the lever J for either elevating or depressing the runnerconnected by the elevating or depressing leframe, substantially as described. ver, substantially as and for the purpose de- 12. In a corn-planter, the conibination of scribed.

the side rails of the main frame extending In testimony whereof we have hereunto set over or above the runner-frame and con- 1 our hands this 23d day of March, A. D. 1880. neetcd thereto, and the lever J, attached to the rearward extension of the runner-frame for either elevating or depressing the runners, substantially as described.

13. In a corn-planter, the combination of the bent seat-supporting, standard, and the i MICHAEL RUNSTETLER. ANDREW RUNSTETLER.

Witnesses:

WARREN MUNGER, E. P. MATTHEWS.

rearward extension of the front runner-frame 

